She smiled gently at that. "Of course, you can give me any name you wish."
Noan frowned. "Hm?! You have no requirements?"
After saying that, he simply saw her looking at him with eyes full of anticipation and joy.
Those eyes were so beautiful, so beautiful that Noan found himself unable to say anything more.
Those eyes seemed to possess a mysterious magic, drawing all his attention and even his soul inside.
Beautiful like a masterpiece, as if the entire universe had been shrunk down and carefully placed inside those eyes.
Suddenly, Noan remembered a legend heād heard of back on Earth, and so he blurted out, "Then... how about the name Elvaria?"
"Elvaria, it sounds so gentle, it feels both divine and noble." The woman tilted her head, speaking softly.
"Uhm! Thatās exactly what the name means." Noan replied with a smile. "So, what do you thinkādo you like it?"
"Of course... from now on, I will be Elvaria." Elvaria smiled in response.
"Alright, is there anything else you need me to help with?" Noan waved his hand, smiling.
He wanted to change the topicāotherwise, heād be so captivated by Elvariaās beauty that he might lose control.
It seemed Elvaria sensed his thoughts, smiling as radiantly as a field of sunflowers blooming under the sun.
"No need," Elvaria said with a smile. "Right now, just focus on growing stronger, as quickly as you can."
"I will support you within the limits of my ability. I can guarantee those Gods wonāt be able to interfere in your development."
Hearing that, Noan nodded, his gaze drawn to the lower half of Elvariaās body, now vanished, from which shards of light continued to spill.
Those shards emitted a faint light, like a mournful melody, making the already dark space feel even heavier and more hopeless.
"Donāt worry..." Elvaria smiled. "As long as you become strong enough, Iāll be able to break free from this seal and stand by your side, fighting with you."
"Itās just that... I want to apologize to you. Because of me, you have to bear such a vast and heavy destiny."
Noan scratched his head at that, sighing as he said, "Donāt say that. In truth... I should be thanking you."
Elvaria was a little surprised, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of doubt and anticipation as she looked at him.
"If you hadnāt brought me to this world, perhaps Iād still just be a dog on Earth," Noan said with a tired, self-mocking smile.
"No achievements, no parents, not a single talent."
"But ever since coming to this world, even though Iāve run into all kinds of trouble, at the very least... Iām not just an ordinary person."
"I understand full well... thereās no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Thatās why, at the beginning, every step I took had to be incredibly cautious."
"But now that I understand whatās going on, look at me... Iāve become a lot more at ease."
Elvaria smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
Noan waved his hand and said, "Donāt thank me. On the contrary, just help me hold off those Gods, and thatāll be enough. I can handle fighting the Fate Holders myself. What I need now is time."
"I understand," Elvaria nodded. "I can guarantee that no God-level existence will be able to interfere in this conflict."
"However, I canāt hold them back for long. If you donāt reach level 10 quickly, I may not be able to restrain them much longer."
Hearing that, Noan nodded. "Understood. Donāt worry, I definitely wonāt keep you waiting long."
"It took me less than two months to go from level 0 to level 5."
"From level 5 to level 10, I think at worst itāll only take a year. If it takes longer, maybe two years at most."
Elvaria nodded gently. "Thatās good. For the Gods, time is meaninglessāone nap for them could be hundreds, thousands, or even sometimes millions of years."
"They only awaken when thereās an existence threatening their plans. So one or two years doesnāt matter much to them."
"However, you donāt need to rushāfocus on quality. Leveling up too quickly isnāt always a good thing."
As she finished speaking, Elvaria blew out a wisp of black smoke that drifted toward Noan.
He didnāt dodge, because he knew she would never harm him.
That wisp of black smoke entered his body through his nose and mouth.
In that instant, Noan suddenly felt a pair of eyes watching him.
Those eyes were beautifulālike Elvariaāsābut their beauty was entirely different.
They were filled with hatred and pain, as if the whole of hell had been condensed and placed inside those eyes.
"Ha!" Noan started, snapping back to awareness, sweat pouring down his face.
He gasped for breath, raising his head to look at Elvaria. "That... what on earth was that?"
Elvaria replied, "Noan, that is one of the branches of your fate, something you must face."
"The Abyss Lordāthe one who aided me in fighting the godsāis currently imprisoned within the Abyss Realm."
"Noan, I hope you can help me, help rescue the Abyss Lord. Of course, if you can save her, she will certainly assist you in growing stronger."
Hearing this, Noan frowned. Although he felt pleased at the thought of having an additional ally, those eyes truly frightened him.
Would that person really help him after he set her free?
Noan began to feel uneasy, but if Elvaria had assured him, then there was no need to worry too much.
He asked, "Where do I find her?"
Elvaria smiled and answered, "The wheel of fate will guide you. You neednāt worry."
With that, she smiled at himāa smile so stunningly beautiful it made his heart skip a beat.
"The chosen one, Noan," Elvaria said with a smile. "I will wait for you. Together, we will finish this unfinished story and bring it to its end."
Immediately after, Noanās consciousness was swallowed by darkness.
Elvaria watched as Noan slowly faded from the shadowy space, a gentle smile gracing her lips.
"Noan... this story still holds many wonders. I hope... you and I can continue writing it together."
....
Noan started, his eyes snapping open, his face filled with confusion as he looked toward the dragon-skull gate before him.
"This is... have I returned to reality?" Noan frowned, murmuring to himself.
"The gate... itās open?" At that moment, Aldric suddenly spoke, making Noan jump.
But Noan quickly remembered he was still hidden within the spatial veil, so Aldric couldnāt detect him.
Indeed, Aldric didnāt sense Noanās presence; he only felt something strange and glanced around.
He found nothing out of the ordinary, except that the sealing magic on the gate had suddenly blazed with dazzling lightāthen vanished.
Yes, the sealing magic disappeared completely before his eyes, leaving him startled.
He couldnāt make sense of what was happening, so he didnāt dare approach the gate immediately.
However, after waiting a long while and seeing no signs of danger, Aldric finally decided to approach the gate.
Noan, seeing Aldric draw near, quickly slipped to the side, keeping his distance.
After all, Aldricās instincts were incredibly sharp, and Noan didnāt want to risk being discovered.
At this point, Aldric looked around warily, each step drawing him closer to the gate.
He took a deep breath, then slowly stepped forward.
One step... two steps... three steps...
When Aldric had completely passed through the gate, he let out a long breath of relief.
He looked around, seeing two wide corridors stretching off into the distance on either side, everything else shrouded in dense black clouds, obscuring any further view.
Aldric frowned, drew out his spear, and muttered in some strange language.
At the same time, Noan and Malrik also crossed the gate. As Malrik was about to say something, Noan suddenly shivered.
"Master, are you alright?" Malrik asked in confusion, "Are you scared? Donāt worry, Iām here, Iā"
"Could you be quiet for a moment?" Noan sighed.
He ignored Malrik, his gaze fixed on the distant darkness, where countless black clouds billowed thickly.
Suddenly, Noan joltedāhe sensed a power both familiar and bizarre.
And with it, that power carried chaos and evil so intense it made him shudder.
"Pff!" Suddenly, Aldric spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face as pale as a patient suffering from severe anemia. He mumbled under his breath, "Impossible... this is..."